Merchandise holder



Oct. 5, 1943. R. B. MELLER 2,331,038

. MERCHANDISE HOLDER Filed April 50,1941

INVENTOR. ,efe/NA 1.o B. MEL1 ER ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 5, 1943 UNITE-D- i MERCHAN DisE HVILDR' tres@ holldr'my b asSeinb'led.

1 in. to highgspeed" ible'" or the iikl `,Sed L. trier the bracing walls H tend to swing, each about its respective hinge axis, which lies along the region of attachment to the floor section l I, and such movement causes the unattached part I9 of the turned-under portion of each bracing wall to ex away from the floor section.

As the item is pushed home to its naar posiaway from the floor section, as indicated in Figy ure 4. Such partial flexing of the turned-under portion of each bracing wall is of considerable importance in the efficient operation of my device, since it enables the items themselves to create or set up forces in the device, 'which ywill aid those restoring forces already existing in the stressed portions, and thereby increase the holding or locking effect of the device and provide a much firmer grip on the items. This may be explained by pointing out that as the loaded device is set upon a flat surface such as a counter or shelf, the weight of the items held therein will be distributed equally to the bracing walls and thereby produce a reactive force upwardly against each bracing wall. By reason of the construction of each bracing wall and its hinged connection to the floor section, such reactive forces as will be induced by the weight of the items, will be in directions to Supplement the restoring forces already existing in the device, thereby increasing the pressure-engagement between the side walls and the item and effecting a much rmer grip on the item.

The side walls 9 are preferably low in height to form a shallow trough, whereby substantially the entire merchandise may be exposed for display purposes, and may be removed, item by item as desired, merely by spreading the side walls and lifting the item out.

The bracing walls, at the same time, offer substantial space for carrying advertising matter or directions as to the manner of use of the merchandise carried in the holder.

In addition to the advantages already attributed to my device, it also offers many advantages in the packing and shipping of merchandise, as the use of my holders assures proper spacing of the merchandise items and holds them against accidental displacement. Therefore, the need for packing material or partitioning compartments is eliminated, and practically no waste is incurred, as the same holders are used in the displaying and selling .of the merchandise after unpacking the same from the container in which they have been shipped.

By reason of the supporting eiect of the bracing walls and the forces developed in my device, as previously explained, the device can be and preferably is made from cheap flexible material such as paper or the like, having a certain degree of resiliency. A single such device may very economically be formed from a rectangular blank, and of interest in this connection is. the fact that the preparation of such blank need not involve the slightest waste of material, as clearly indicated in Figure 5 which depicts a blank from which one such device may be formed. With reference to this figure, the components of the device are indicated by primed reference numerals 4corresponding to the unprimed numerals employed in the previous figures. The portion forming the floor section ll runs through the middle of the blank and is defined by two rows of cuts forming the tabs I5 which in turn are joined by score lines 25. Spaced from each roW of tab cuts is a score line 21 to determine the height of each side wall 9', the remainder of the blank adjacent each side wall 9', being dedicated to the formation of a bracing wall Il.

' A score line 29 through each of these remaining portions of the blank will facilitate bending or creasing the bracing wall I1 around the free ends of the tabs I5' during assembling.

The notches I3 of the assembled device come into existence upon assembling the blank, and as will be apparent from the drawing, these notches are determined by the same cuts which define the tabs., Although the cuts may be made to provide rectangular notches, notches which are rhomboidal in shape are preferable, as they afford a better hold on the item to be secured, and will inherently ,compensate for varying thicknesses in the ridge.

While I have disclosed a blank from which to assemble a single device, the devices may be manufactured in quantity under high speed methods, by providing the. cuts and score lines in blank material as it is removed in ribbon form from a suitable roll, and in a continuous operation, assembling the material as it is so cut and scored, and then cutting off sections to desired length, which length will be determined by the number of items that each device is intended to hold.

The completed holder thus provides a cheap but eicient and attractive means for holding and displaying merchandise of the character described, and one offering many advantages. Although the device has been described as a holder for bottles or cans having a ridge at the bottom thereof, merchandise in bags may similarly be retained in the device by stitching a ridge around the bottom edge of each bag.

While I have described what I consider the preferred form of my invention, it is apparent that the same may be modified, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I accordingly do not desire to be limited in my protection, except as may be necessitated by the prior art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A merchandise holder, preferably for items such as bottles, cans or the like having a peripheral ridge at the bottom thereof, comprising, a trough of flexible material including a floor section, a pair of side walls having portions thereof terminating short of said floor section to provide space for the reception of such peripheral ridge upon the insertion of a can or the like in said trough; and a supporting wall for each of said side walls, said supporting wall being joined along one of its edges to its associated side wall adjacent the upper edge thereof and along its opposite edge to said Vfloor section, and disposed at an acute angle with respect to said floor section.

2. A merchandise rholder, preferably for items such as bottles, cans or the like having a peripheral ridge at the bottom thereof, comprising, a trough of flexiblematerial including a floor section having laterally extending tabs, a pair of side walls connecting with said oor section and having portions thereof terminating short of said floor'section; and. a supporting Wall for each of said side Walls, said supporting Wall being joined along one of its edges toits associated side wall adjacent the upper edge thereof and'folded over and under said floor section tabs and afxed to said floor section. Y

3. A merchandise holder, preferably for items such as bottles, cans or the like having a peripheral ridge at the bottom thereof, comprising, an open top trough of flexible material having side walls and a floor section intermediate said side walls, said side walls being resiliently hinged to said floor section to permit stressed spreading of said Walls for the insertion of such item through the open top of said trough, and notched at spaced intervals adjacent said floor section, to receive said ridge and at least partially relieve the stressed condition of said side Walls whereby to hold such item against displacement and a supporting member connected to each side Wall'at the top thereof and at an angle thereto, said member being disposed to overlie a side of said edge of a side Walland folded under said floor section in spaced relationship to said side Wall to normally dispose said wall at an acute angle to said floor section; and means ailixing the turned-under portion of such bracing walltok y the undersurface of said floor section.

trough and to be folded thereunder and aiflxed thereto, to normally position said side Wall at an acute angle to said floor section.

4. A merchandise holder, preferably for items such as bottles, cans or the like having a peripheral ridge at the bottom thereof, comprising, a trough of flexible material having side walls, each notched at spaced intervals adjacent the bottom edge thereof, a floor section joining said side Walls along the bottom edges thereof and having spaced tabs extending beyond said side walls; a bracing wall for each of said side Walls, said bracing wall being joined to the upper edge of a side wall and folded over and under those iloor section tabs extending beyond said side wall; and means affixing the turned-under portion of such bracing i wall to the undersurface of said floor section.

5. A merchandise holder, preferably for items j such as bottles, cans or the like having a peripheral ridge at the bottom thereof, comprising,` a

trough of flexible material having side walls, each notched at spaced intervals adjacent vthe bottomY edge thereof, a floor section joining said side walls along the bottom edges thereof and having spaced tabs extending beyond said side walls; a bracing wall for each of said side Walls, said bracing Wall being joined to the upper edge of a side wall and folded over and under those-floor section tabs extending beyond said side Wall, and

' section.

means anixing the turned-under portion of such l bracing wall to the undersurface of said floor section along a region of said floor section spaced from the side thereof.

6. A merchandise holder, preferably for items such as bottles, cans or the like having a peripheral ridge at the bottoml thereof, comprising, `a

trough of flexible material havingside Walls, each notched at spaced intervals at the bottom edge thereof, a floor section joining said sidewalls along the bottom edges thereof between said of a side wall for each of said side Walls, `said other, a floor section joining said side walls along the bottom edges thereof and having lspaced tabs extending beyond said side walls; a bracing wall for each of said side Walls, said bracing wall being joined to the upper edge of a side wall and folded over and under those floor section tabs extending beyond said side wall; and means affixing the turned-under portion of such bracing' Wall beneath said floor section along a, region spaced from the edge of said oor section.

8. Av merchandise holder, preferably forv items such as bottles, cans or the like having a peripheral ridge at the' bottom thereof, comprising, a troughv of flexible material including a floor section, a pair of side walls having portions thereof terminating short of said floor section; and a supporting wall for each of said side walls, both said side walls and supporting Walls being normally toed inwardly to make interior angles with the floor section of less than 90,".

9. A merchandise holder, preferably for items such as bottles, cans or the like having a periphtrough of flexible material including a floor section, a pair of side Walls connecting with the floor section and having portions thereof terminating short of said floor section, and a bracing wall for each of said side Walls, said bracing Wall being joined along one of its edges to its associated side wall adjacent its upper edge and folded under and secured to said floor section along a region spaced from the edge of said floor section, leavinga portion of the under-turned section of said bracing wall free to I'leX away from the floor 10. A merchandise holder, preferably for items such` as bottles, vcans orthe like having a peripheral ridgeat the bottom thereof, lcomprising a trough of flexible material including a floor sec-A K tion, a pair of side walls connecting with the floor section and having portions thereof termis nating short of said floor section, and a bracing j wall foreach of said side Walls, said bracing'wall being joined along one of its edges to its associated side wall adjacentits upper edge and folded under and secured to said floor section along a region spaced from the edge of said door secnotches; a bracing Wall exceeding in widththat tion, leaving a portion of the under-turned section of said bracing' wall extending beyond the edge of said floor' section and free to flex away therefrom,k

REGINALD B. MELLER. 

